Sessions of 2026 Connection Conference: Bernadette Russoniello
Russoniello, Bernadette
Marketing Teacher
Maricopa Unified School District #20
Bernadette is a lifetime educator dedicated to developing young leaders and scholars. She has spent her life developing programs and opportunities to help students do more, dream more, and become more. Bernadette teaches Marketing at Maricopa DECA, managing a chapter with more than 220 students, 160 DECA members, and two student enterprises. Bernadette was awarded Maricopa Teacher of the year 2016, DECA advisor of the Year 2017, ACTE Az CTE Teacher of the Year 2017, ACTE Region V Teacher of the Year 2017, and was an ACTE national finalist for Teacher of the Year. She has served on the AME Board, ACTEAZ Board of Directors, and for the Arizona College Consortium. Bernadette has developed her niche in education by focusing on community-involved learning and loves to share her experiences and ideas with others!
Sessions:
[5848] From Concept to Cash: How to Run a Student Market Day
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Westin La Paloma
- Business and Marketing Education
Market Day is a high-impact, real-world learning experience where students invest their own money, launch a small business, and sell to real customers. This how-to session walks educators through planning, logistics, student expectations, funding considerations, risk management, and assessment. Learn how to structure timelines, approvals, pricing, marketing, and reflection while maintaining equity and school compliance. The session also covers common pitfalls, profit tracking, and ways to connect Market Day to performance indicators and work-based learning requirements. Participants leave with a clear road map and ready-to-use ideas to confidently run a successful, student-driven market experience.
[5843] Sealing the Skills: Helping Students Earn the Financial Literacy Seal
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Westin La Paloma
- Business and Marketing Education
The Seal of Financial Literacy is a powerful credential—but many students miss it simply due to lack of awareness or planning. This session guides educators through strategies to intentionally support students in earning the seal before graduation. Learn how to align coursework, assessments, and projects to financial literacy requirements, track student progress, and integrate preparation into existing marketing and CTE classes. The session also covers documentation, timelines, and student motivation strategies. Participants will leave with a clear framework to help more students graduate with this meaningful, career-ready distinction.
